Color Shots
by NoctIsFishing
Summary: Side stories to Colors in Autumn. Can be read as standalones. No drama. Just fluff. NEW #2: Colors in Dancing - On a chilly night to break away from her studies, Sora hangs out with her friends for a distraction, only to discover her favorite kind.[Taiora][Minor Koumi]
1. Colors in Christmas

_**S** **ummary:** It's a Flashback Christmas, and the group gets together to celebrate the happiest time of the year.  
**Taiora/Koumi/Takari**_

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 **A/N:** (5/15/19) Wanted to keep the fluffy side of _Colors in Autumn_ going. Its parent story has some fluff sprinkled in, but, you know, you'll find it once you get past the * _drama*_

These one-shots can be read without reading the main story, although anyone who follows it might appreciate its references :)

(12/25/18) Colors Timeline: This is the Christmas during Tai, Sora, and Matt's last year at university. Two Christmases later, Tai is in Beijing, and the next Christmas hasn't happened in the current storyline yet.

Enjoy the fluff. :):):):)

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- **C** olors **i** n **C** hristmas-

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It was the Saturday evening before the week of Christmas. The first semester of the final year at university was over, and Sora was relieved to survive the final exams throughout the week. All of her friends had just started their winter breaks, and especially with the holidays coming up, they all planned to gather at Izzy's apartment. Sora wore her red turtleneck long sleeve shirt and denim skirt, and put on green leggings, just to be festive, but mostly to stay warm. With her hair set and her makeup only needing final touches, she yelled through the open door of her bathroom to make sure that her other half was running on the same time.

"How's it going, Tai?" she asked aloud.

"I've hit a snag," he yelled back from his own bathroom. "My hair's not working with me tonight."

Sora sighed and rolled her eyes, just as she pressed her now red lips together. She spritzed on her favorite fruity perfume and left her bathroom to head to Tai's room. On the way, she stopped in front of Matt's door, which was closed. After a light knock, she opened his door and found it dark, but she could see a silhouette of Matt's body covered under a blanket, in his peaceful slumber. She figured he had a week as grueling as hers, and he needed a nap like this. She then closed his door quietly, knowing she would see him at the party later on.

When she stepped into his room, she glowered at the state of it. It astounded her, how he could have this amount of shirts and pants laying around when they had done laundry together merely a week ago.

"We're going to be late, Tai," she said with agitation.

"I'm almost done, I promise!" he yelled from the bathroom.

She pushed a shirt off of the edge of his bed so that she could sit, anticipating that his time would be longer than being 'almost done'.

"Hurry up, Tai! You know I don't like being late."

"Relax, Sora. Izzy doesn't mind."

"Well, you know Mimi does. And, as I was saying, I don't either."

Sora looked up at the ceiling, wondering how long she was going to wait. To her surprise, it wasn't long after all, which she realized just as his hands snaked around her waist and he pulled her close.

"Done," he said, and she turned to meet his brown eyes inches away from hers, and he greeted her with a kiss.

She looked him up and down when she pulled away, partly to make sure he was done, partly to see how good he looked. His hair was no different to her than it always was; the long, bushy, tamed mess of his hair. He wore dark slacks and a light tan shirt that buttoned up at the collar.

"Ooh, I love this shirt on you," Sora said, running her hand down his chest.

"I like your outfit, it's cute," Tai said with a smile, and Sora made a face. She never did like being called 'cute', but that only made Tai keep going. "Your face you just made, how cute. Oh, you're glaring now? It's so cute, the way you wrinkle your nose..."

"Stop that, Tai." She smacked his shoulder, but he drew closer, his face now close to her neck.

"Mmm, you smell really good."

"Tai…" Sora grew impatient, but his lips were now tickling her neck. "Tai, we really should get going…" His hands were leaving her waist and untucking her shirt to slip underneath to the flat of her stomach. "Tai…" Sora's whine was broken up by a giggle as his lips were nibbling on her earlobe, his hands moving up to the clip of her bra. She was tempted to fall back onto his bed, taking him with her so he could keep going, but instead, she took his cheeks with her hands to catch his attention with her lips pressed against his.

She gazed into his eyes when she parted. "We can't keep our friends waiting, Tai."

"I know, I know. I just missed you during finals week."

"I missed you, too."

She kissed him again, and he kissed back, his arms around her, tempting her again, then-

"Do you really want me to mess with your hair right now?" she asked.

"I can always redo it," he replied with a smirk, ready to kiss her again, but Sora drew back.

"Tai, Mimi will have our heads."

"Fine, fine."

Tai frowned as Sora straightened a part of his hair with her fingers, then gave him another kiss. As she pulled apart from him, his eyes met hers and his lips formed a smile, making her smile back.

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"Of course, you would be late, Tai," Mimi said unhappily with her arms crossed, at Izzy's front door. Her light brown hair was long and wavy, and she wore a white dress with stripes of red, green, and white with an apron over it, making her look like a holiday elf.

"Why would you think that, Mimi?" Tai asked, starting a bickering match with her. Sora stared at him from the corner of her eyes as he held his arm around her shoulders, listening to him rant about his hair taking too long to dry and how his products haven't held up very well.

"Thanks for inviting us, Mimi," Sora said, moving forward and giving Mimi a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She took Tai's hand and walked further into Izzy's apartment, revealing the living room and dining room decorated with garlands of green and silver, including the mantel above the fireplace. The Christmas tree just to the side of it was all decked out with ornaments and strings of colorful lights.

"Izzy let me do all the decorating," Mimi explained. "He's such a sweetheart. I knew he wasn't too into the holidays but when he suggested I spruce the place up a bit, I said, _'Well, I thought you'd never ask!'_ "

"I bet she didn't stop hinting at it," Tai mumbled to Sora, and she nodded.

Mimi and Izzy had only just started dating a few months ago, after Izzy was coerced by Tai and Matt to ask her out. It was a surprise to Mimi, but Izzy had been crushing on her for years. Izzy was Mimi's longest relationship, and it pleasantly surprised Sora, who hadn't seen Mimi this happy about anyone for the longest time.

Mimi frowned, however, when she showed Sora and Tai the Christmas tree, which was full of colored orbs, ornaments of snowflakes and wintry themes.

"Why the long face, Meems?" Sora asked. The tree is gorgeous. You did an amazing job decorating it."

"No way - Sora, check out this robot ornament," Tai said, holding the blockhead robot in his palm. "This looks so awesome."

Mimi pouted at Sora, and before she could open her mouth, Izzy's red head appeared at Tai's other side. "Prodigious, right?" Izzy said. "I couldn't stop staring at it at the shop…"

"He really couldn't," Mimi said somberly while Izzy gushed about it with Tai. "We went Christmas shopping together, and you know how I like things to match. But he just looked so adorable looking at it, I just knew he wanted it…"

The front door opened then, and a dark blue haired Joe appeared, holding the hand of his fiance, Mika.

"I'm so happy you're here!" Mimi said excitedly, throwing her arms up and running over to him.

"Why am _I_ the one who got yelled at?" Tai asked grumpily.

After Sora greeted Joe and Mika with Tai, she walked around Izzy's apartment while waiting for the other friends to arrive. She was amazed at how big it was for just Izzy to live in it. It was just as big as the apartment she lived in with Tai and Matt, except Izzy was making enough money, while still going to school, to live on his own.

Tai wrapped his arms around her then, holding her from behind.

"I'm surprised you haven't complained about the cold yet," he said, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"The heater's on, Tai," said Sora. "I'm covered up already, and if I get cold, there's always my jacket hanging by the door."

"You're forgetting that you have me, too."

"What good use are you, Tai?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"Ouch, Sora. Can't a man keep his woman from freezing to death?"

"I've got everything I need, Tai. I don't need you."

"But I need you…" Tai gave her a peck on the cheek, and she turned to him to see him, face-to-face.

"I'm sure you do. You'd be like a lost puppy out on the street."

Sora couldn't help but laugh as Tai pouted his lips in front of her. She put her hands on either side of his shoulders, lifting herself up to meet his lips with hers.

When TK arrived, Sora rushed to the door to give him a hug, and when she felt the cold emanating from his jacket and his short blonde hair, she only hugged him tighter and rubbed his back.

"Geez, it must have gotten colder tonight," she told him.

"It's the worst!" TK agreed.

While Tai started a conversation with Joe and Mika, Sora joined TK by the fireplace, where they both liked to sit to feel its warmth. She listened to TK talk about his senior year of high school, and that he was glad he had time before the new year to relax and unwind before hitting the books again for entrance exams.

"Actually, Sora, I wanted to ask you about something," TK said. "Before Kari gets here."

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"Well…" TK adjusted his crossed legs, as though he couldn't find a comfortable position suddenly. "How do you tell someone that you love them?"

Sora wasn't sure how to answer. Tai was the first one to tell her he loved her, and it caught her by surprise. They weren't doing anything special - they were sitting at the table in their apartment, and she laughed nonstop at something silly he said. She knew he watched her the whole time as she took deep breaths, but her laughter caught in each exhale, until she controlled herself and then she finally got herself to calm down.

"I love you, Sora," Tai had said to her then, and she stared at him in wonder, maybe even in confusion.

"Did you just that say you love me?" she had asked back.

"Uh-huh."

She left him hanging until a few days later, as she watched him staring at her as she fixed the front of his hair before he went out for the day. He looked confused at first, but it made him smile before they shared a kiss to confirm.

"You just… tell her, TK," was Sora's response. "You tell her that you love her, as soon as you believe it, the next chance you get."

"Do you love me, Sora?" Sora jumped and squealed at the light poke at her sides, and at the low, cool voice that asked the question. She turned to the blonde-headed male next to her, his blue eyes with calm mischief, alert and fresh after a long nap. "I'm so glad I found out that you were ticklish."

Sora smacked Matt on the shoulder before he smiled and closed in to give her a hug. Then, he went over to TK to hug him as well.

After Sora watched Matt and Tai perform their silly handshake greeting, Kari arrived soon after, in her puffy jacket and beanie over her head, and TK beamed as he greeted her with a kiss. At the same time, Mimi took out the turkey that she had been roasting in the oven, and she and Izzy started bringing the other dishes over to the table.

Sora placed her hand on Mimi's shoulder as Mimi sprinkled a few more seasonings over the turkey. "Do you need any help?" she asked.

"Umm…" Mimi stopped and thought. "Hmm. Extra napkins, maybe?"

Sora searched the drawers and found napkins to bring to the table. Everyone had already found their seat at the table, including Tai, who pulled the chair out next to him for Sora to sit in. Once she sat down, the feast began. In addition to the roasted turkey, Mimi served sides of scalloped potatoes, carrots and green beans, all which tasted delicious. The others wholeheartedly agreed, with the typical first few moments of no words spoken, only the sounds of forks and knives clinking against the plates.

Further into the meal, as Sora caught up with Joe, Mika, and Izzy, she heard Tai happily chatting away and laughing with Kari and TK, and Matt asking Mimi what she put in the carrots to make them taste amazing. Then, when Sora noticed all the plates had been cleared, Mimi shot up from her seat and hurried to the kitchen. Pretty soon, she returned with a whole pan of apple pie.

"Oh yeah, I'm so ready for this," Tai said, rubbing his hands together.

Mimi must have noticed Sora's less than enthused reaction to the pie as she served a slice on each plate. "Don't worry, Sora," Mimi said. "One day you'll discover what you've been missing out on all this time."

Tai leaned over to Sora to speak in a low voice. "Didn't you already discover that when you started dating me?" he asked.

"Tai!" Sora smacked his shoulder, her face feeling hot.

Mimi served Tai a slice of pie, with Sora being the only person without a slice. Mimi set the pie down, then hurried to the kitchen again. When she came back, she held a mug, steaming from the top, and she set it down in front of Sora, revealing the dark, chocolatey liquid, topped with a large marshmallow.

"You know me _so_ well," said Sora, puckering her lips along with Mimi to exchange air kisses, while her friends at the table laughed at Mimi's gesture.

Tai then nudged Sora, and when she turned her head, she saw he raised his fork with a piece of his slice in front of her. Sora shook her head.

"Aww, come on, Sora," he said. "I know how much you hate apples, but you have to give in to Mimi's apple pie sometime."

"No way, Tai. Not a chance."

"I guess we'll have to wait until hell freezes over."

Sora grinned. "Something like that."

At some point, TK had left the table and returned with a handful of tiny green leaves tied up with a red string and small bells attached. Sora knew what it was, but she noticed the smile wiped off of Tai's face.

"Hey, TK," he said, sounding serious. "Be careful with that. You better not abuse it."

TK stuck his tongue out at Tai, then held it over Kari sitting in her chair, who gasped in surprise and brought his face to her for a kiss. Sora laughed as Tai let out a mock gasp. Then TK sauntered over to Izzy and Mimi's side of the table and held the leaves over them. Izzy leaned over to Mimi and kissed her before she realized what was going on. He even got Joe and his fiance to kiss.

"Best for last," TK said in a singsong when he held the mistletoe over Tai and Sora. She looked over at Tai, her eyes meeting his, but she felt the eyes of everyone at the table. Looking past her embarrassment, she got out of her chair to take a seat on Tai's lap, and blushed as she gave him a soft kiss on his lips, which he took willingly.

"Get a room!" Matt yelled, making Sora laugh along with the others as she buried her face on Tai's shoulder, Tai holding her in his embrace.

Soon after, everyone dispersed from the table. And scattered throughout the dining table. Sora was excited to see that Matt brought his acoustic guitar, and started strumming the carols he knew. She sat close to the fire with Tai, leaning back against his chest as they listened to Matt's relaxing tunes. It felt so cozy to her that she fell into a daze that she didn't want to get out of.

"How long have they been at it?" she heard Tai ask after a while.

"Hmm?" she asked, and noticed his head was turned away from the fire and toward the couch. She looked toward that direction, and sat up in her startled amusement, seeing TK and Kari sitting close on the couch, their arms wrapped each other, and their mouths joined together like glue. TK still held the mistletoe at his fingertips. "Let them be, Tai. You were young and in love once."

Sora heard Tai grumble but she couldn't make out the words he said. It made her laugh, knowing how much he liked TK, but how protective he was of Kari.

"I'm going to fix this," she said, then she got up from the floor, and pulled him up to follow suit. She walked by TK and Kari, where she slipped the mistletoe away from TK's hand. When she went back to Tai, she grabbed his shoulder with one hand to support her as she raised her feet over her toes, holding her other hand with the mistletoe above his head. Tai lowered his head, breaking into laughter.

"I can't believe you, Sora," he said, and Sora grimaced.

"You just HAD to be tall. Your hair makes it worse."

"I thought you liked my hair."

"Shut up." She rested her feet flat against the floor, tired of lifting, and let the mistletoe fall on top of his hair where it stayed stuck. "Now, you can kiss whoever you want."

He paused. "That gives me options then."

Sora's eyes widened. _"Options?!_ Honestly, Tai-"

Tai laughed hard. "I'm kidding. I just wanted to see your reaction."

She continued her hard stare, but he was still laughing.

"Sora, lighten up."

"Idiot." She brought him closer to her, her eyes meeting his bright-eyed smile now, and the mistletoe nestled into the top of his hair.

She burst into giggles at how silly he looked. "I can't believe you let me put that in your hair."

"Well," he said, pulling her even closer. "You're lucky that you're my best option."

Smiling back, she lifted herself a little on her toes, and she felt him lean forward for their lips to touch once again. Matt continued to play Christmas songs on his guitar, with Mimi joining in by singing along. Kari now leaned against TK, whose arm was around her as they listened on the couch. Mimi convinced Izzy to rattle the sleigh bells, and Joe and Mika clapped along to the songs, and Sora joined in with Tai soon after.

Sora and her friends decided not to buy each other any presents for the holiday, and that being in the presence of each others' company was all they needed. Sora was grateful to celebrate with her friends that night, and she agreed with her friends. And, as Sora kissed Tai's cheek with the green leaves and red ribbon still on top of his head, she thought about what Tai last said to her, and she decided that she couldn't agree more.

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 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! To those who have been following _Colors in Autumn_ , I didn't dive too much into the actual story here, but this fic gives you an insight of prime Taiora, and at least, a little bit of how the other characters were at this point in the timeline. You might have also noticed a change in a certain minor ship - It'll all be explained in due time.

In the meantime, whether you've read the aforementioned fic or not, I hope you enjoyed this standalone Taiora fluff. Please let me know what you think!

Thanks again for reading! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

..Stay warm..


	2. Colors in Dancing

_**Summary** : On a chilly night to break away from her studies, Sora hangs out with her friends for a distraction, only to discover her favorite kind.  
**Taiora/Koumi**_

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 **A/N** : (5/15/19) To those who have this on their 'Follow' alerts - you never thought this was going to be updated, did ya? Heehee.  
 _Colors_ Timeline: Sora, Matt, Tai are in the first semester of their second year. There are no pairings... not at the start of the fic, anyway ;)

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- **C** olors **i** n **D** ancing-

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It was a cold Thursday evening, and Sora joined her friends at the local bar. She didn't expect to be out, especially when she should have been locked up in her room or at the library, studying for her midterms next week. Then again, the bar was bustling with other university students who should have been doing the same.

She was on her third bottle of beer and only starting to feel the buzz kick in. Matt sat next to her in their long table booth as he drank his second, listening to Sora and Mimi, who was still on her first cocktail but already laughing more than she normally did, talking about anything and everything. Izzy, who had a soda to drink, carried on a conversation with Joe, who sat between Mimi and Izzy, and he was casually drinking his first, and, as he proclaimed, would be his only bottle.

"I didn't think you'd come out tonight, Joe," said Sora. "Last time I talked to you, you seemed swamped in your studies."

"Tell me about it, Sora," he said, taking a deep breath as he said that. "I had to turn in three papers this week, _and_ I've got three midterms next week!"

"Well, at least you're here with us for a breather from all that stress, right?" said Matt, taking a swig of his bottle. "That's what _he_ kept telling us."

"One of the many reasons he messaged all of us through the group chat," added Izzy.

Mimi laughed. "Those were fun!" she said. "I said 'yes' in a heartbeat. I'm always down to hang out with everybody!"

"Anybody else give him an answer so that he would just shut up?" Matt asked, making Sora laugh.

"It's enough that he wouldn't stop pestering us at the apartment," said Sora.

"I come bearing gifts!"

Tai appeared with a handful of drinks, grinning as he set them down on the center of the table next to the appetizers.

"Speak of the Devil," said Joe, as Sora and Matt moved over to make room for Tai to sit.

"Missed me?" Tai asked her, still grinning. "I've gotta say, I wonder how often you think about me if I come back to hear you talk about me."

"In your dreams," said Sora, rolling her eyes, though she was smiling back.

It was Tai who wanted to get together with everyone. Sora and Matt tried to convince him it was a bad idea, given that everyone would have most likely declined because of schoolwork. They questioned whether he was actually studying and feeling the same stress as they were. Ultimately, for Sora, it was the stress of the work piling on that made her decide that a break for that night was necessary.

Sora, Tai, and Matt held up a fresh bottle and clinked them together. Mimi hopped over Izzy and Joe as she left the table because she needed to 'freshen up'. That was when Sora eyed three slightly crumpled napkins in front of Tai, each with a phone number scribbled in blue ink.

"Who's the lucky lady, Tai?" Sora asked.

"Don't make it obvious," he replied, suddenly leaning back into his seat in a casual manner, taking a sip. "Bright red hair. 4 o'clock."

The table fell silent as they discreetly turned their attention to the table with the girl in question. She had a lean figure with tan skin, which oddly complemented her medium length hair that flared out in its layers.

"She's pretty," was Sora's comment.

"Of course you'd go for a sporty type," added Matt. "She's in one of my classes. She plays tennis, I think."

"She appears to be casual with her friends," said Izzy. "But I presume she's waiting for you to talk to her again."

"What are we talking about?" Mimi asked when she returned, stopping Joe and Izzy from getting up for her to return to hear seat. "No, no, don't worry about it."

"Tai got a girl's number," said Sora, raising her brows, and Mimi gasped loudly.

"I wanna know! Who is she?! Tell me everything!"

"Mimi!" Tai said, making a face as Mimi sat down, holding her hands against her cheeks and her elbows against the table.

"So much for being discreet about it," Joe muttered.

"She looks quite a bit concerned now…" said Izzy.

"It's okay, I'll bounce back," said Tai, trying to shake it off and take another drink and Sora watched him with amusement. Mimi giggled, grabbing the new cocktail Tai had set down for her earlier.

"Not sure about this one," Sora said. "You have two girls at your own table next to you. She doesn't seem to like that."

"Not helping," Tai said.

"In my opinion, I'm worried about her well-being since she's only wearing a tank top and jeans. How could she wear that in the middle of November?"

"Not everybody is _you_ , Sora."

"Don't worry, Tai," said Izzy. "If this one doesn't work out, you've got two more numbers, anyway."

"I say don't waste your time," said Mimi, sipping her straw. "There are better ' _sporty redheads'_ out there, anyway."

Sora shot a look at Mimi, who gave her a wink back. She noticed Matt smirking, and Joe wearing a knowing smile.

"We'll see how this night plays out, I guess," said Tai, appearing to be the only oblivious one at the table. "You alright there, Sora?"

"What?" she asked, hoping he didn't notice her cheeks slowly matching her hair own color.

"You know, we haven't had a rematch game from last time."

"Game?" Joe asked. "What game?"

Matt smiled. "They've been playing drinking games and they're tied 2-2 right now," he explained.

"I pummeled him last time with _'Two Truths and a Lie'_ ," said Sora, turning to Tai with a smug look on her face. Tai grimaced.

"Hey - I didn't think you would be that good of a liar."

"And you say you know me ' _so well',"_ she teased.

"Yeah, yeah, it's not like with just met..."

Sora heard a throat clearing and her eyes shot to Joe in front of her, and she realized her hands were on Tai's arm and she was leaning close. She pulled away, laughing nervously, and certain that everyone at the table, including Tai, saw the red on her cheeks.

"How about a game of _'Battle Shots'_?" Izzy suggested.

"What about _'Higher/Lower'_?" said Mimi.

"Nah, those take long," said Tai, and Sora shook her head in agreement. "Besides, we don't even have a deck of cards."

"Ooh!" Sora said suddenly, sitting up from her seat. "I know the perfect game. Got some change on you, Tai?"

Tai flashed a smile. "You read my mind. It's pretty serious when this girl wants to play with shot glasses involved. I'll be right back."

"What game is this, now?" Joe asked, as Tai got up from his seat again, and Mimi cheered beside them.

"In America, it's called _'Quarters'_ ," said Izzy. "Everyone takes a turn to throw a coin in a shot glass. When one person makes it in, the person next to them has to take a drink."

"In this case, if Sora makes it in, Tai has to drink, and vice versa," Matt added.

Sora got up from her seat, straightening out her skirt as she stood up, and Mimi gasped as she looked toward the floor.

"You're wearing the pumps I bought you!" Mimi said with a squeal, and Sora smiled, though halfheartedly at her black, ankle-strapped pumps on her feet. "Who are you trying to impress tonight?"

"I just thought it would be fun to wear out tonight," Sora replied, but Mimi was still smiling.

" _Spor-ty Red-head…"_ Mimi giggled in a singsong voice as she leaned over, and, realizing Mimi was already drunk, Sora swatted her hand at her.

"Cut it out, Meems!" she said, hoping no one else heard. Mimi, however, scoffed in disgust.

"Fine. Be in denial. Sometimes, I wish you listened to me more when I try to give you advice." Mimi let out a loud sigh, then she turned to Izzy next to her. "Why won't she listen to me, Izzy?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that- Hey…"

Mimi took hold of Izzy's shoulders, stunning everyone else at the table as she climbed over Joe to get to Izzy, and moved her legs to sit across his lap. "But you're Izzy. You're supposed to have the answer to everything."

"I… I suppose so…"

Her voice was softer now as she brushed her fingers along his cheek, then gently running them in his hair. "I'm sure it's somewhere in that big, beautiful brain of yours…"

Sora shifted her glance from Joe, then to Matt, both of them attempting to stifle their laughter. Izzy had done well in hiding the fact that he had a huge crush on Mimi, so Sora pitied him in that moment, seeing that not only his cheeks, but his whole face was now the color of crimson.

Soon, Tai returned with four shot glasses, one of them empty.

"Why three?" Sora asked.

"I wondered if anyone else wanted to join in," he replied, pointing to Matt.

"Don't bring me into this," he said. "You two get way into it."

"Like I said, only one drink tonight," said Joe for himself.

Sora looked to Izzy, who appeared to be in a daze while Mimi gingerly picked at his hair.

"I like your hair a lot, Izzy," she said thoughtfully. "I'm so glad you don't have hair as long as Tai's."

"Hey! what gives?" Tai asked, taking offense.

"Careful, Meems," said Sora, laughing as she made room for the empty shot glass on the table. "You might hurt his ego with that."

That was when Tai noticed Mimi and Izzy. "What's going on there?"

"I'm not sure if I can explain…"

"I have an idea," said Matt. "This is your fifth game, so why not 'first to five' be the winner of it all?"

"I like it!" Tai said. "What say you, Takenouchi?"

"Sounds like a game you're going to lose."

Tai flashed another smirk of his. "And you say I'm cocky. Why don't we up the ante? Winner gets to choose a dare for the loser."

"Game on-!"

Sora cut herself off as the balance on her heel faltered for a moment.

"We haven't even started and you're already losing balance?"

"Shut up. Let's play."

Matt adjusted his sitting position, crossing his legs on the cushion, while Joe crossed his arms, observing Tai and Sora stand at the edge of the table, taking turns with their attempts to bounce a coin into the glass. Neither of them made it in the first few tries, but Sora was the first to bounce her coin in.

"Yay, Sora!" Mimi cheered, and Tai accepted the initial defeat, taking a few gulps of his beer.

"So, the shots are for the one who loses, right?" Joe asked.

"Precisely," said Izzy, now appearing more comfortable the longer Mimi sat with him.

Sora made her coin in two more times, and as she pumped her fist in the air, she noticed there were a few more cheers from behind her. Then, as Tai finally sunk his first coin shot, he was met with scattered applause.

"I guess we have an audience," Tai told Sora with a grin. Sora grinned back before she drank her beer, not minding the attention as much the more that her buzz kicked in.

But as time went on, Sora's confidence started to wane, the more Tai made his shots, and the more she had to drink.

"Tai's game, Sora," said Matt. "He's up 4-3."

"I believe in you, Sora!" Mimi cried.

Sora felt like the whole room was watching her, the tension rising as even Tai stared her down. But she decided to ignore it, and at the bounce of her coin, she watch it chime against the glass as it successfully went in.

The applause was louder than before as Tai drank more of his beer. And, when he bounced his coin and it missed, a collective sigh was heard around the room.

"So they're tied now?" said Joe. "They're _tied_?! How can they handle this pressure?!"

"All the fame and glory could be yours with this one, Sora," said Tai, holding his beer bottle to her. "Best of luck to you."

Amid the pressure, Sora couldn't help but want to laugh at how serious they were both taking this, especially Tai. However, it only reminded her that this was all in good fun, either way.

She threw her coin onto the table, and it bounced toward the glass - missing it by a quarter of an inch.

"Dammit," she muttered, hearing the sighs of disappointment behind her. Immediate silence fell soon after, when she made way for Tai to bounce his coin - which, as though it flew in slow motion, landed right into the glass.

"I win…" said Tai in disbelief. _"I win!"_ He threw his hands in the air, a mix of cheers and applause greeting him with his victory. Izzy and Mimi sat together, smiling and clapping for him, while Joe leaned forward in his seat, slumped over the table as though he was relieved that the game was over.

"You good, Sora?" Matt asked as Sora clinked her beer bottle with his.

"I can handle this," she said, downing the rest of her beer, disheartened by her loss.

When Tai returned to the table from his moment of victory, he looked to Sora, who stared back curiously as she noticed something beyond his pompous expression.

"It's okay if you drink one of the shots, Sora," he told her.

" _Now_ you're being soft? I'm already drunk, and we both agreed to this game, so I'm not about to turn back now." She downed the first shot, which she nearly choked in surprise as it burned in her throat, but began to laugh in her drunken state. "Rum, Tai? You chose rum?!"

Tai was already laughing hard along with her. "You never even asked what it was. I'm serious, Sora… You don't have to drink the rest..."

"Straight rum, Sora?" Mimi asked, making a face. " _Blech_."

" _'Blech'_. That's any alcohol for me," said Izzy, and Mimi burst into laughter.

"I can't believe you said that! You're too funny."

"Hey," said Tai, his arm now around her frame. "I think it's time for that dare."

"Don't do it, Sora," said Matt.

"It's okay, Matt," she said, looking at Tai, despite his mischievous stare. "Like I said, there's no turning back from here. Spill it, Yagami. What's the dare?"

"I'll give you two clues," he said. Then he pointed to the jukebox across the bar. "One, and Two-" He then pointed at her.

"Whoa," said Izzy in surprise. "No one ever dances here. She'd be doing this all on her own."

"No way!" said Mimi. "Are you really going to do it, Sora? Even with the heels?"

"You can bet on it," she said, grabbing the second shot and downing it right in front of Tai.

"I don't know about this," she heard Joe from behind, but her stare was still on Tai as she walked away from him, her heels giving her a certain kind of strut that she noticed he couldn't keep his eyes from.

She hadn't thought about how silly she felt, or how stupid she was about to look in front of everyone. Her intoxicated mind blurred her sense of judgment that would have stopped her from heading to the jukebox and pushing the buttons. At least she got to choose a song she liked.

Music began to blare through the speakers and she sensed the heads turn in her direction, but she cared not, her hips now rolling to the beat. In the right time and the right mindset, Sora did love to dance. Mimi cheered her on, and she heard other chatter from unfamiliar voices, but she ignored them all and drowned herself in the sounds and melody of the song playing, feeling her groove in her shoulders and her feet.

The moment she decided to twirl, however, turned to be an instant regret, as she over spun and lost her feet. She was ready for her face to meet the floor, when instead, it was met with another face, as she fell into Tai's arms.

"Easy there," he said, with a laugh. He helped her up, and as she stood face to face with him, she noticed a twinkle in his brown eyes she only noticed when she stared at him long enough.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well… I thought I might join you. I was getting jealous that you lost."

Sora laughed. "Why? Am I stealing all of your attention?"

"It's hard not to notice you, either way - I mean..."

"Idiot," she said, although she couldn't stop herself from smiling at his sudden hesitation. Tai? Embarrassed? Rarely did she see him this way, and she found it oddly endearing.

Without another thought, she took his hands, bringing him towards her, still bopping along with the beat.

"I didn't think you'd like to dance this much," he said as he followed her lead.

"First of all, I'm drunk," she replied, stepping her way towards him. "And second, blame the tennis girls in high school - they blasted music after every practice match. And Mimi, too. You know she likes to distract me from everything."

"Distractions are good for you - it's why I've been _pestering_ everyone to come out tonight." Tai flashed a smile as Sora giggled at his mockery. "And even then, it's why I'm here with you."

That was when she noticed how close their bodies were. His one hand held hers up, and his other placed on her hip. She felt a chill as he slid his hand across her back, their faces inches apart with her eyes locked into his twinkling gaze.

"Twirl me," she said, the idea refreshed in her mind as the she felt more of the surge of liquid courage kick in, and Tai blinked, his stare now uncertain.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You're being a little adventurous with those heels."

"Would you ever say 'no' to adventure, Tai?"

"Touche."

Tai raised their arms up for Sora to lift her heel and spin, both of them laughing as she successfully landed on her two feet. They danced together until the song played its final chord, which Sora felt ended sooner than she wanted.

"Back to the table?" Tai asked, holding his hand out for her.

"Let's go," she said. Of course, her next step was followed with a slip and and a shriek, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself sprawled against the floor.

"Sora…?!"

She lifted her head up, finding Tai kneeled in front of her, his face full of concern.

"I probably should have grabbed your hand first," she said, and the two of them broke into laughter.

The others met them at the jukebox right when Tai helped her back up on her feet.

"Are you alright, Sora?" Mimi asked, still drunk and clinging to Izzy's shirt.

"I'm alrigh - ah-" She winced and grabbed onto Tai's shoulder as sharp pain jolted up her leg from the foot she fell on.

"I know a sprain when I see one," said Joe, sighing. "She better not be walking home tonight."

"I'm fine-" Sora said irritably, not knowing at that point whether it was from Joe being stern or from attempting to withstand the pain.

"Don't worry, Joe," said Matt, grabbing her free arm. "She has the two of us to take her back."

"I guess I'll have to go home, too," said Mimi with a pout, and Sora grabbed her hand, frowning with her.

"Will you be alright?" Sora asked.

"Don't worry!" Tai said, smacking Izzy's shoulder. "This guy'll take her home safe and sound. Right, Izzy?"

"He will?!" Mimi said, her eyes lighting up and resting her head on his shoulder. "Such a gentleman!"

Tai and Matt exchanged knowing looks as Izzy's face turned an even brighter shade of red.

Soon after, everyone parted ways, and Sora began her trek back to the apartment with her arms hanging over Matt and Tai's shoulders, attempting to hop on her un-sprained foot. They had only walked past one block before Sora stopped them both and admitted that this walk home wasn't working for her.

"I have an idea," said Tai. "Climb on my back."

"I'm _not_ doing that," said Sora, crossing her arms in protest.

"Either that, or I 'princess carry' you."

Sora frowned, looking at Matt in hopes for a better idea, but he only shrugged.

"Fine."

Tai carried her the rest of the way, the three of them walking silently together. Before Sora knew it, she had been carried all the way to her bed, sitting upright and seeing Matt and Tai stand over her. Time was getting away from her, her mind foggy with the events of the night, but the light, blissful feeling remained a constant.

"I don't have class in the morning, so I can take you to the doctor for your ankle," she heard Matt say.

"Mm-hmm," said Sora, in a daze by then. She might have seen Matt and Tai share glances before Matt said his goodnight and left her room. Only then did she realize that Tai had been with her all night long, and he was then sitting next to her.

"What are you still doing here?" she asked, and Tai laughed, giving her an odd expression.

"I brought you home, didn't I?" he asked back, giving her a light nudge.

"I figured you'd be at some other girl's place right now."

"Well.. I guess 'some other girl' wasn't going to cut it for me tonight."

She didn't realize how long he had been staring at her. Maybe, she didn't realize how long she was staring back.

"Wanna know what my dare would have been, if you lost?" she asked with her voice lowering, not knowing if she was the one leaning closer to him.

"What's that?" he asked, his voice softening to match hers, his eyes keeping his gaze on her.

"Kiss a sporty redhead."

Tai laughed. "Too easy."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was going to do it anyway."

His eyes fell onto her lips, and he leaned forward, closing them as he went in for a kiss. It surprised her for a moment, after being friends for so long, comfortably joking and teasing each other along the way. She felt his soft lips brush against hers, the taste reminiscent of the beer they drank, and the extra shot of rum that she knew he was going to finish off. But as she kissed back, his hand on her cheek as hers crept into the back of his scalp, she had to wonder how long he held this back from her.

She had been holding back for so long.

Their kisses were getting deeper, and she felt their bodies closing in, her chest pushing against his. She relished the feel of his hair on her fingers as she massaged his scalp, and a new rush of excitement flowed within her, feeling his hand tinker at the bottom of her shirt, then sneaking underneath for a touch of her skin.

It was at that point when Tai stopped moving his hand, and his lips pulled apart from hers.

"Tai…?" she said, feeling her breath heavy, and her heart pounding against her ears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, letting go of her. "And everything."

"Tai… Even if I was sober, I wouldn't understand what you mean by that."

"That's just it, Sora, you aren't sober, and neither am I. Let's not do something we'll forget about in the morning."

Tai stood up from her bed, and as she resented the moment, it irritated her that she agreed, that he was doing what he felt was right.

"'Some other girl wasn't going to cut it'..." Sora mumbled. Tai stood at her door, looking more hesitant than before, as though he was holding back what he wanted to say.

"I'll… check on you in the morning…" he said with a small smile. "Goodnight, Sora."

When he closed the door behind him, Sora wondered how much of the night she would remember anyway, and wanted to disagree with him, at first. But, as she began to feel a new surge, of something quickly going up her throat, she hastily grabbed the trash can on the side of her bed, throwing her head into it in the nick of time.

 _That_ part, she would be okay to forget.

That was the only time she remembered throwing up throughout the night. The next thing she knew, she opened her eyes to the sunlight peeking through her curtains. As she sat up from her bed, she felt the throbbing in her head, her ears ringing, and the ill feeling in her stomach, which was light but not urgent. She stood up then, only to feel the sharp pain on her foot and causing her to fall flat on the floor.

Sora heard her door slowly creak as it opened, followed by Matt's voice.

"Coffee, Sora?"

"Please. Help me up first?"

Matt took her arm, then helped her walk to the dining table, where they were met with Tai, though his upper body was sprawled on the table top, his face hidden behind the mug that Matt placed in front of him.

"Unlucky punk is the only one of us with class this morning," said Matt.

The three sat at the dining table, and as Sora bit into a fresh blueberry muffin, she attempted to run the memories of the night before in her aching head. The friends, the drinks, the game - it got blurry after the shots of rum. From then on, it was only bits and pieces. The dancing… the fall…

The kiss…

Tai groaned as he sat up. Regardless of how much he had to drink, he looked no different than he normally did every morning - groggy and annoyed.

"Good morning, sunshine," Matt said, nonchalantly taking a sip of coffee.

"I hate mornings."

Even with her discomfort, Sora let out a giggle.

"What are you giggling about?" asked Tai.

"Nothing."

Everyone seemed to feel better as they finished off their breakfast and drank their coffee. By that time, the three of them sat around the table, talking and laughing in their good spirits. Sora was only reminded of the night before as she watched Tai chatter about something, the memories fuzzy, although, she couldn't deny the warm feeling that came with it.

"Hey, Tai," she said, debating on whether the liquid courage was still in force. "I was wondering…"

"Hmm?"

"After midterms, you and I should hang out. We could catch a movie, or something."

Tai paused, startled by the suggestion.

"Are you being serious right now?"

"She's asking you out, don't shoot her down so quickly, Tai," said Matt, still cool as he continued to sip.

Sora bit her lip, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "You could say I'm being a little adventurous…"

Matt looked over to Tai from the corners of his eyes, as though waiting his response, before Tai's lips formed a smile.

"I'd never say 'no' to that," he said, and Sora smiled back, with a new thought that this warm feeling might be here to stay.

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 **A/N:** Inspired by "Can We Pretend" by P!nk. There are light references to this one-shot in a few of the _Colors_ chapters, too. Hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading! :) xx

..Stay warm..


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